Redemption Road Book 1: Knight by DJ Jamison

 

Redemption Road Book 1

They call me Knight because I'm always trying to save someone...

Unfortunately, I can't even save myself most of the time. I didn't save myself from getting involved with the wrong people, from taking the fall for a guy I thought I loved, or from being betrayed by him.

Redemption Road gives me a fresh start. a new family of men who know what it's like to make mistakes, and a chance to meet a guy who actually deserves my heart. Only problem? He's a doctor going places far from Riverton--and he's way too smart to fall for a con like me.

Especially when my past shows up and tries to drag me back into the biker gang I thought I'd escaped.

There's no running from them. I'll have to fight if I want my freedom. And there's a good chance I won't come out of it alive.

This time, I'll have to save myself. But as the other ex-cons at Redemption Road step up, I realize I'm not alone. I finally have people who care about me.

And my best friend's brother, Aiden, tops that list. He's not only my roommate and casual hookup. He's becoming the center of my world.

But unless I end this, I can't stay with him. I'd only put him in danger. So there's really no choice.

I'm going to get my happy ending--or die trying.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/246264642-knight

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

If you have read the Foster Bros series, then you definitely don’t want to miss this new series! And if you haven’t read Foster Bros yet, I recommend you do! It’s a great start for this particular world where we get beginning looks of our main characters. This series starts off with Knight. Redemption Road gave him a fresh start after he got out of prison. All he wants to do is stay away from his past, which involved a biker gang, and make a new life for himself. And so far, he’s been doing pretty well. But when his plans for a roommate falls through, he is struggling to find someone to fill in. He just never expected it would be his best friend’s brother, Aiden. Especially when Aiden and Knight met many months before at a club and hooked up. They may not have known one another now but they do now. And even more than that? They never forgot that night. But they can’t cross that line again…can they? Meanwhile, Aiden has worked hard to become a doctor. And this year he needs to focus if he wants to move forward with the plans he made. But being around Knight again makes that hard. And it’s only a matter of time until he gives in to their attraction. But maybe his so called perfect plans have room for improvement. But then Knight’s past comes knocking on their door. Can they find a way to free him from the past for good? Loved this story! It was a great way to kick off this new series. I adored getting to know Aiden and Knight. These two had great chemistry and they just worked so well together as a couple. Even when they were denying what was happening between them. A great start for sure and I can’t wait for the next book!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Love at First Snapshot: A Charity Anthology

 

One Photoshoot. Two Strangers. Endless Possibilities.

Love At First Snapshot brings together 19 queer authors for 19 low-angst, meet cute romances where strangers collide in front of the camera and something real begins. From unexpected moments to genuine connections, these stories capture the magic of finding love when you least expect it.

Love At First Snapshot includes a diverse collection of queer characters in stories that range from cozy and sweet to hot and spicy. The content is meant for readers 18+ so please read responsibly.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/241795260-love-at-first-snapshot

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My Review: 4/5 Stars

Cherry on Top by Bree Wiley

I love Bree Wiley’s State of Us series, so when she did a story about Arya in this anthology, I had to read it! In this very short story, we see what Arya has been up to. She’s moved away from Utah in the hope to find herself and just give herself a clean slate away from her former friends. In doing so, she meets Liv. First by accident then by a photoshoot they sign up for. Liv is basically married to her job. But when she tries to be spontaneous, she never imagined she would see Arya again. And for the chemistry between them to be so strong. This story between is a sweet promise of starting something new with someone who sees you. A promise of a future that be something they have both been looking for!

Moonfall Book 2: The Ballad of Falling Dragons by Sarah A. Parker

 

Moonfall Book 2

The Ballad of Falling Dragons is the much-anticipated sequel to the New York Timesbestselling phenomenon When the Moon Hatched, featuring an immersive, vibrant world with mysterious creatures, a unique magic system, and a love that blazes through the ages.

“Moonbeam. A moonfall is coming.”

Raeve’s thirst for vengeance continues to burn, as does her love for Kaan Vaegor—a staunch beacon from a past she’s yet to face. With Rekk’s blood still fresh on her hands, she learns the world will face its most devastating moonfall yet, forcing her to pick a path: 

Chase death.

Or life.

Desperate to save his kingdom from ruin, Kaan’s crown has never felt so heavy. His many larks to scattered friends and family remain unanswered, and time is running out.

As allies merge and enemies surge with bloodlusting agendas of their own, secrets brew hot enough to burn, but none so mighty as the truth nesting within the icy depths of Raeve’s long forgotten past.

Something … Other.

Something with the knowledge to change it all.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/216815055-the-ballad-of-falling-dragons

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My Review: 4/5 Stars

Wow! A really great follow up to the previous book and an ending that has me demanding for book three asap! Things have definitely gotten more interesting in this world. Raeve may have gotten her vengeance for now but there is still a lot more left of her journey. She is going to have to face her past sooner or later. But in the meantime, there are some other problems going on. Like the fact that another moonfall is coming. And it isn’t just one, but many. Kaan may have Raeve back and they are together, but they have much to do. Veya, Kyzari, and others have their own roles to play and journeys to face. A lot goes down in this book and I truly don’t want to spoil any of it! I definitely enjoyed this one more than the first book. Only because it was much easier to follow this world at this point. And just so much happened in this one. We get some answers but we definitely have more questions! The ending was really crazy and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Moonfall Book 1: When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker

 

Moonfall Book 1

The Creators did not expect their beloved dragons to sail skyward upon their end. To curl into balls just beyond gravity’s grip, littering the sky with tombstones. With moons.

They certainly did not expect them to fall. 

As a valued Elding Blade of the rebellion group Fíur du Ath, Raeve’s job is to kill. To complete orders and never get caught. When a renowned bounty hunter is employed by The Crown to capture a member of the Ath, Raeve’s world is turned upside down. Blood spills, hearts break, and Raeve finds herself at the mercy of the Guild of Nobles—a group of dual-beaded elementals who intend to turn her into a political statement. Only death will set her free.

Crushed beneath a mourning weight, Kaan Vaegor took the head of a king and donned his melted crown. Now on a tireless quest to assuage the never-ebbing ache in his chest, his hunt for a moonshard lures him into the belly of Gore’s notorious prison where he stumbles upon something that rips apart his perception of reality. A shackled miracle with eyes full of rage and blood on her hands.

The echo of the past sings louder than the Creators themselves, and even Raeve can’t ignore the truths blaring at her from a warmer, happier time.

However.

There’s more to this song than meets the eye, and some truths …

They’re too poisonous to swallow.

When the Moon Hatched is a fast-paced fantasy romance for fans of witty banter and strong, sassy protagonists. Beneath the cover is an immersive, vibrant world with mysterious creatures, a unique magic system, and a love that blazes through the ages.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/202507554-when-the-moon-hatched

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My Review: 4/5 Stars

Raeve is an assassin. Tracking down bad people who have done very bad things. She relishes in taking them out. But when a bounty hunter arrives looking for her, it changes everything. Captured, tortured, grieving, she is waiting for death. Until Kaan Vaegor breaks her free. Now she is set on a path that holds the truth and missing pieces of her path. But it is something she does not want to know. Because nothing good ever lasts long for her. And if she feels this tug toward Kaan then she knows that it will only end in death. This is a big new fantasy world and I will say, takes a minute to get into it and figure it out all. We have dragons and magic and gods. We have a big cast of characters, lots of secrets, and just when you have some questions answered, we have several more things we want to know. It’s hard to explain and get into without spoilers. But overall, I really enjoyed diving into this world. The end definitely had me hooked and I am super grateful I read this just as book two was released. Though I’m sure I will regret it if book two ends with a cliffhanger like book one! But I really enjoyed this story and the characters especially. Lots of fun banter and the romance between Kaan and Raeve is really just starting. And with what we learn at the end, I can’t wait to see what happens next for them. 

Siren’s Point Book 2: Facing Leeward by JJ Mulder

 

Siren’s Point Book 2

Winters are slow in Siren’s Point. For Nils Lee, that means solitude, tending his chickens, and minding his own. It means days of silence. For Oliver Martin, the season brings a different, unique set of challenges: home repairs and loneliness.

Neighbors and coworkers, Nils and Oliver are together more often than they are apart. It’s not enough, though, and both of them wish for more. More time, more companionship, more intimacy. Unsure of how to ask for it, they simply move forward as they are, ignoring the attraction growing between them.

Oliver knows he can be a lot. His personality, his energy, his inability to talk, or think, in a straight line. All of it, too much for most people, and certainly too much for quiet, calm Nils.

Nils has spent his life choosing silence. A partner was never in his future. And, until Oliver moved in next door, he might have said that life was perfect for him. Now, he wishes the short distance between their houses didn’t exist and Oliver was always near enough for Nils to hear him singing.

When a massive winter storm hits Siren’s Point, the choice about whether to close that last bit of space is made for them. With snow falling outside and a fire burning, Oliver and Nils find out there is more than one way to stay warm during winter.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/249043550-facing-leeward

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

Nils and Oliver are together more often than they are apart. After a year of working together, their friendship has truly developed. While Oliver can never sit still and always has something to say, Nils is a quiet listener. Though mostly because talking with his stutter is never easy. But he never tires of hearing Oliver talk. Especially when Oliver can read him so well and actually gives him a chance to speak when Nils wants to. Now that it is winter and they aren’t on the boat so often, they still find themselves drifting to one another. Oliver is constantly attempting home repairs with Nils’s help and Oliver loves cooking Nils food and visiting his chickens. So it’s only a matter of time that they come to realize that this friendship between them feels like so much more. And when they take a chance to become more, it may be the best thing that’s happened to both of them. I adored these two! They were just so sweet and I loved watching their friendship slowly develop into something so much more. They balanced one another out perfectly and also gave each other safe spaces to truly be themselves. I loved getting to know them more and watch them fall in love. Another great book in this series, and I can’t wait for more!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Radford U Book 2: Crossing Lines by Mel McCabe

 

Radford U Book 2

Asher Reynolds–Dutch to his teammates–is the guy who always wants things to be fair. But there’s nothing fair about losing his sister in a car accident a few months ago, along with suffering an injury that’s going to derail his senior year with the Radford Renegades.

Wyatt Chase is used to handling whatever life throws at him. A former pro hockey player who lost his career to a brutal injury, he’s now a single dad to a precocious five-year-old—and Radford’s newest physical therapist. He’s no stranger to clawing his way forward in spite of the odds.

What he’s not expecting is for Asher–broody and sullen and injured–to be his first serious case so early in the season. Or his next door neighbor. And he’s definitely not expecting for Asher’s depth–and pain–to stir something in Chase that he’s spent years trying to push past.

He knows that Asher is one-hundred-percent off limits. He’s Chase’s patient, and it’s his responsibility to help rehab him and keep the line between them clear.

So, why do they keep finding themselves crossing it over and over again?

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/252144376-crossing-lines

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My Review: 4/5 Stars

Asher is drowning. Him and his sister were in a car accident over the summer and while Asher may have had a serious injury, his sister didn’t make it. Since then, he has been drowning in his grief and trying to get by day by day. He was able to at least make the decision to go back to Radford U and finish his senior year. He is on scholarship to play hockey so he has to get back in shape for it. That means going to physical therapy. There is no chance he’ll play this semester but that doesn’t mean he can’t be ready for next if he follows his program. But motivation is hard to find completely. But that won’t happen under Chase’s watch. Chase knows what it is like to lose his hockey career and his job as a physical therapist is one he loves. Especially when it helps players get back to the game they love. But Asher stumps him. Because right now, he doesn’t see someone fighting to get back to playing, he sees someone struggling to just be there in the moment. Bit by bit though, Chase helps spark Asher back to life. Just in more ways than one. Because the connection between them becomes hard to ignore the more time they spend together. And when they are neighbors and Chase sees Asher treating his five year old daughter, it’s hard to resist. Starting anything between them beyond player and trainer is a terrible idea. But it’s only a matter of time until they cross a line they can’t take back. But love may just be worth the risk. Great story all around! Asher really was just not doing well in the beginning of the story and for good reasons. But I loved seeing the spark come back to him bit by bit as the story went on. And that Chase was someone who could be there for him and help him get through it and become so much more. These two were really great for one another in a lot of ways. And they well deserved their happy ending.

Radford U Book 1: Power Play by Mel McCabe

 

Radford U Book 1

The one who broke him may just be the one who puts him back together.

Kellan O’Reilly’s life is a delicate balancing act. He needs to have a stellar last season to get picked up by an NHL team, not get caught by his coach working an overnight job that he desperately needs to keep to help his family, and, adding even more to his plate, figure out why his new tutor seems to hate him on sight.

Bennett “Wells” Wellington III has done everything that he can to avoid tutoring athletes. So, when he’s forced to help Kellan O’Reilly, the carefully crafted facade he’s worked for years to perfect starts crumbling. Because even if Kellan doesn’t remember him, he’s part of the reason that Wells is unrecognizable as his past self.

Now, it’s Wells that holds the power after all these years, and he has no plans to give it up. The only problem is… Kellan’s nothing like the kid he used to know, and as he tries to make Kellan’s life hell, he’s starting to wonder who’s actually in charge. Or why being with Kellan is suddenly making him feel more like himself than ever before.

As they spend more time together, Wells’ commanding presence and dominating nature unlocks a part of Kellan that’s like a drug to experience. Better than the sleep he desperately needs. More gratifying than the record goals he’s putting up this season. And, honestly, the best sex of his life, hands down.

But Wells seems to hate that he wants him. How can Kellan make him realize that the two of them together could be the best thing that’s ever happened to both of them?

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/242723436-power-play

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My Review: 4/5 Stars

Kellan is doing everything he can to stay above water. He’s in his senior year of college where he needs to play his best hockey in order to get signed on by a NHL team. But he is also constantly working when he can to help his mom pay the bills after his stepdad left her and his brothers several months earlier with no warning. Not that Kellan isn’t glad to see the guy gone, but taking care of so many people is a lot for Kellan and his mom. And because of all that, it’s no matter that his grades are slipping a bit and his coach signs him up for a tutor. But the moment he walks into Wells’s office, he knows the guy hates him. But he can’t figure out why. Wells has a good reason to dislike Kellan. Back when he was a freshman in high school, Kellan wasn’t exactly nice and it led to Wells transferring. But he can see the look on Kellan’s face that he has no idea who Wells is. And as hard as he tries to hang on to his anger, he is conflicted when he doesn’t see a hint of the guy that Wells used to know. Has Kellan truly changed? Even more mind blowing is the attraction they have with one another. One that once they act on is hard to resist after that. But Wells has plenty of reasons besides their shared history to keep his walls up. Doesn’t mean Kellan won’t try to break them down bit by bit. A good story all around. Definitely looking forward to reading the next one.